Video is a vital recipe for the success of any artist,a good video makes your music more appealing to the market and gets the artist easier to sell. In Kenya the reality has checked in and a closer look will tell more emphasis and investments by the artists in making a quality video.
The need for better videos has seen our artists fly in reputable directors as far as from Nigeria at extremely high costs. Back home talented video directors are smiling all the way to the bank,recently Tanzanian artist Diamond made a video to his hit song number one,the production cost him about sh.2.6m,boomba videos charges a minimum of sh.100000 in making one and they've been credited for making quality pieces.
Recently Octopizzo,arguably the lead rapper in Kenya right now released a video to his song Nini,it has left many jaws dropped and tongues wagging going by it's outstanding quality. One of the fellow rappers was heard saying," I don't always like this niccuh but that video is out of this world,salute"
Some people have complimented the video saying it looks so international that one could mistake it for 2Chains'. This begged for the answer on who made the video. Ideologically the quality of the video is all attributed to the director as in most cases the artist is merely an actor. The factors of productions and conceptualization largely lies on the director's side.
Who did Octo's video? Meet Andrew Macharia young talented video directed who has been taking the industry by a storm. Talking exclusively to Nairobi Exposed,Andrew tells us he started off his career while in the USA through the mentorship of Mike Ho an international and highly reputable director who has worked with big artists. While in the USA Andrew had the chance to work with rapper Young Jeezy whom he directed for a video titled way too gone.
Barely a year old in Kenya since he shifted his base,the young talent has worked with various key artists and the list of his clients ranges from Camp Mulla,Young Jeezy,Navio,Jasmine Villegas,Sauti Sol,Frankie J,Nick Mutuma,Vanessa Mdee,Airtel Kenya and now Octopizo.
Talking of Airtel,he is the one who made the Mwalimu Wanjiku's popular 2mbob advert
We asked him to share the recipe to the success of an artist from his perspective as a director and how much he charges," To be a successful artist in 2013 takes a lot. I mean there's a lot of competition coming up every other day. So you'd have to bring some totally different to the table. Also being an artist means investment it takes a lot of time and money to perform at that level we all want to be in. My charges for music videos varies all the time. It all depends on the capacity of the production we'll end up doing."
After making a BET nominated video Fresh all day and Channel O nominated money lover by the Sauti Sol for the most talented East African video,Macharia remains more focused and ambitious as ever.
He outlays his plans to NE as far as growth and motivation is concerned. "If you're trying to compete in that pan African level. You've seen how much effort West Africans put in videos and how they win big awards and are recognized in The western markets. My goal is to get the East African market to that playing field."
As successful as Camp Mulla did with Fresh All Day and getting to the BET awards. He would love to see likes of Sauti Sol, Octopizzo, P-Unit etc.. at the VMA's and BET awards as well. Growing up in the states when someone mentioned "music videos" Hype Williams or Little X would pop up in your head immediately.
"I want to create that here for this generation and the next one to come. Decades from now i want to be remembered as the director who took music videos to a whole different level and not just in East Africa, Africa as well." He concludes.
His last plan is to grow Razorwire Production into a house hold name. Soon enough he will be signing directors to his company and give them the platform to produce music videos and commercials at the level and quality that he does now.
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